The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-17
BISHOP STEVENS.
a Brief Sketch of His Career, Particu,
Ia, -lr, 10 az IL (,c,nr,octad VIA,

reer of the Right Rev. William Bacon
/ Stevens, Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal
church for the diocese of Pennsylvania,
whose death was announced in the MORN
ING NEWS last Sunday morning The fol-
lowing facts relate more particularly to his
residence in Georgia:
William Bacon Stevens was the Youngest
and only surviving son of William and Re
becca Bacon Stevens, and was born at
Bath, Me-, July -, 1915. His father was
an officer in the United States army during
the war of 1872. He passed his early life in
Boston, the home of his maternal and pater-
nal ancestry. His preparations for college
and the ministry to which he had devoted
! his life were interrupted by i'll health, and
on the assurance of his physicians
that pulmonary difficulties would
! prevent his entrance upon
! his chosen life work, he left Phillips Acad-
envy, at Andover, and turned his attention
to the study Of medicine. At the age of Is
ne sailed on an extended voyage for the re
establishment of his J alth and was absent
| from home for overr*o years, having in
| that period circumnavigated the globe On
| his return to this country he went TO Savan-
nah, Ga, where he studied under DR.
| Edward Coppee, and to Charleston, where
| he continued his studies wit sAProf. Samuel
| Henry Dickson, NJ ID. In the fall of 1887
Dartmouth College, and in the following
| year received an adj eundem doctorate
| from the Medical College of the
State of South Cnrolina, where he
had also been a student. Returning 10
| Savannah, he entered upon the practice of
his profession with distinguished success,
| finding time, in connection with abundant
labors, for an active participation in the
various literary, benevolent and social efforts
| of the day. DR.. Stevens also took prOmi-
| nent part in the organization of the Histori-
cal Society of the State, He wrote an ex-
| haustive treatise on the History of the Silk
Culture in Georgia" contributed as an APP
pendix to Harris Memorials of Ogle-
| thorpe" and two volumes of historical col
lections, of which he was the editor and an
notator 1t was by the appointment of the
| Historical Society of Georgia, with the APP
| probation Of the Governor, that DR.. Stevens
was designated as the historian of the State.
A CANDIDATE FOR HOLY ORDERS.
The early purpose Of his life, however,
| had not been forgotten, and with COM
plete recovery of health came the desire to
enter upon the sacred ministry Relin-
| gushing a large and remunerative income,
he pursued the usual theological studies under
| the direction of his personal friend, the first
Bishop of Georgia, Stephen Elliott, d. d.,
| by whom he was ordained Deacon in Christ
| church, Savannah, Feb. rs, 1S43, and to the
| priesthood in the same church Jan. Z, 1874.
| Almost Immediately upon his ordinrtion he
was chosen to fill the chair of Belles-Lettres,
oratory and Moral Philosophy in
= the University of Georgia at
| Athens, where he also assumed the
charge of an Episcopal mission, which
| speedily developed into flourishing parish,
| that of Emmanuel church. In 1S47 his first
volume of the History of Georgia" APP
peared and ELECTED the special commenda-
of Bancroft, Sparks and Everett and placed
the writer in the forefront of State histor-
ians. In the same year he was deputy to
the General Convention from the diocese of
Georgia. The following year DR.. Stevens
| yielded to repeated invitations to remove to
Philadelphia to fill the rectorship of st. An
| drew's church, and in the same year 1S4S)
the University Of Pennsylvania conferred
upon him the DECORATE in Divinity.
RECTOR OF ST. ANDREWS CHURCH
While at St Andrews church his minis
| try was distinguished by the marked de
velopment of the hberality of an attached
| people and by the evident prosperity of the
| parish under his charge. In the midst of
engrossing pastoral duties he found time to
| prepare and publish a large number of
| occasional sermons, as well as some i'm
| portant volumes of religious character
| The concluding volume of the History of
| Georgia. the publication Of which mad been
4 ny ItlllONHl ITOlIl HIS duDDIeu
| State, was published in 1889. Among the
religious works which he published while
rector at st. Andrews were THE Bow in
! the Cloud" and THE PARALLELS Practically
| Unfolded." DR.. Stevens was chosen to
preside over the convention in 1858 which
elected Bishop Bowman to be the assistant
Bishop of the diocese.
ELECTED ASSISTANT BISHOP.
On Oct. "a, 1861, at a special convention
which met at St Andrews church, he was
| elected Assistant Bishop of the diocese of
| Pennsylvania. The time of his election
was one of great political excitement on
| account of the outbreak of the civil war,
| and also of ecclesiastical excitement occa-
| goned by States right doctrine, which cul-
| minated in the Southern dioceses seeding
| from the control of the general convention.
DR.. Stevens had been spoken of before the
| meeting of the convention, and as
there was a probability that an OBJ
| lection might be made on the ground of
| former Southern associations a declara-
ton was secured from him on the subject
which at once settled all question. An inter
| esting incident in connection with this con-
vention was the fact that during the ballot
| ing DIR. Stevens and the Rev. DR.. Howe
| drew lots which should withdraw. The lot
fell upon DIR. Howe, who at once withdrew
his name, and on the next ballot, the thir-
| tenth Dr. Stevens was chosen, receiving
IS votes to so cast for the Rev. DR.. Leeds,
then rector of St Peteiss
The Assistant Bishop-elect was consecrated
on Jan. 2, 1852. The services were held at
st. Andrews church, the sermon being
preached by the Rt Rev. Thomas March
Clark, d. D., Bishop of Rhode Island, and
DIR. Stevens predecessor in the rectorship of
st. Andrews. He was presented to the
Presiding Bishop, Rt. Rev DIR. John Henry
| Hopkins, by the Bishops of Pennsylvania
and New York, Alonzo and Horatio Potter,
and the foregoing Bishops, together with the
Bishops of Delaware, Iowa and New Jersey,
joined in the imposition of hands.
BISHOP OF PENNSYLVANIA
On March 2, 1866, Bishop Potter being
obliged by ill-health to take long voyage,
the full ecclesiastical authority of the
diocese developed upon the Assistant Bishop.
! -Four months later Bishop Potter died on
board the steamship Colorado in the harbor
Of San Francisco, and the Assistant Bishop
became the Bishop of Pennsylvania In
October of the same year before tho general
convention Bishop Stevens delivered a dis
course commemorative Of tho life
and work Of his predecessor. On
/ Nov. -, 1855, he assisted at the
organization Of the new Diocese of Pitts
burg, and in January, 1866, he assisted at
the conservation of the new Bishop, Rev
John Barrett Kerfoot, d. D., but was taken
i'll and Obliged 10 retire from active work